A much deserved vacation day!

[itookashot]

Who: The Free Cities Summoned
What: Beach Party Episode, aka the Summoned take a break and enjoy the new portal
When: June 6thish, post Nocwich weekend. We can timey wimey it folks.
Where: Aquila!



[ooc: these are just suggested prompts, please feel free to roll with any ideas you have! Thanks to Hannah for sharing the code. Descriptions about Aquila are taken from the settings page here and credited to the mods. A player-made Pinterest mood board was created here for inspiration, but keep the world of Abraxas in mind for the reality.]

The Aquila Portal / Time to Go!

An invite shows up on the network from Jesper Fahey to the Free Cities Summoned stating the following:

Hey everyone, I managed to score funds from our money makers to have a group outing through the Aquila portal. We deserve it, don't you think? We did vote it into being after all. So get out your beach day clothes (or lack thereof) and meet at 9 AM tomorrow. If you come later, I'll let the portal people know the list allowed. They've got chairs and such to rent there, so don't worry if you don't have anything helpful.

Let's party like we're in the Horizon! If you need some extra cash while there I know the people to beg.

PS - No arguing, Crows. (That means you Kaz.)

True to his word, Jesper will be waiting at the newly opened portal to mark the Summoned so they're allowed to get through with the money he's collected. He'll smile and wink at them as they go through. He is dressed casually himself for this outing and in high spirits. Summoned can meet up here and go through together if they'd like or maybe be persuaded if they're not really sure about it.

Welcome to Aquila!

Aquila is the world's fastest-growing economy and the scenery in Aquila is also considered some of the most beautiful, with both the mountains and beaches of Andromeda Bay nearby, making it a popular destination for vacationers.

The beach may be exciting, but it isn't the only part of Aquila to enjoy! The massive public market takes up most of the city's center. Anything you might want can be found here. Countless booths and stalls and carts fill the town's center, and traders from all across the nation congregate to offer their wares. From raw materials such as fabrics, dyes, exotic wood and stones, to finely crafted artisan everything. Furniture, clothing, foodstuffs, weapons, art, magical oddities, it's all here. The market opens at sun-up and shuts down sometime after sunset - plenty of sellers will linger, hoping for one last sale of the day.

Art and fashion thrive in Aquila. Studios and galleries of art are scattered all over the city and artists sketching or painting out on the streets or on the nearby beaches are a common sight. This is the time to go looking for new clothes as seamstresses and tailors are all looking to outdo themselves and create the next big fashion statement.

But if it's the beach fun you're looking for ....

Fun in the Sun!

It's more crowded than usual in Aquila thanks to the emergence of the portal, but the Summoned will manage to camp out their own area on the right side of the beach and have freedom to enjoy themselves alone. Nearby one of the entrances of the beach is a local business called The Wave Palace. There people can buy or rent chairs, cloth to sit on, hats, and other beach items to feel more comfortable.

Once settled onto their spot on the beach, the Summoned can enjoy a full day of various activities to either relax or be active. They can swim or race to see who is the better swimmer, do the same on a sand race, and head up to a popular nearby cliff that is perfect to jump off of. Challenge each other to the perfect dive or laugh if someone ends up belly-flopping.

Anyone can lounge comfortably in the sun or maybe they want to get creative and build sandcastles. They can rent bowls and sticks and other instruments at the shop to gather sand correctly. Maybe your castle is remarkably impressive or dismal at best, but the point is to have fun. If you're feeling mischievous you can bury a friend in sand, or even a stranger if you want to test fate. You can find rocks or shells to collect and bring home as a reminder of the trip here.



There is a bar down the beach called The Wave Crash Pub where people can sit and listen to live music or carry drinks back to their chair. At some point in the day, someone suggests playing a game of volleyball or something similar, and a net and ball can be found to set it up. Test your might against each other and no cheating! (Just kidding, cheat away.)



As the day comes to a close, stay long enough to watch the sunset together or do some night swimming to cool off. When it's time to go home, don't forget to either return your rented items or decide to buy it. See if you can convince a friend to get a keepsake or ask their opinion of one on the way out. Hope you all had fun in this beach day episode!

Comments

[techmaturgy]

They could be very nice pajamas. You don't know.

[That said, he could use some help in that department. If he tells her now, though, he'll probably never hear the end of it. Something to keep in his back pocket for later.

He knows they've talked about this already, and at the time Viktor hadn't planned to divulge his recent change in relationship status. Now, however, it's hard not to frame this current conversation with the last one. About how none of this would have been possible, back where he comes from. There's more reasons, however, than just their respective social standings.]

I never thought about it. My work was always the most important thing. [Jayce, he thinks, was the exception, because it was their work. He'd never shared anything like it with someone else before.] I also...wasn't sure I'd live long enough to make it happen.

[theidlemaiden]

Are they though?

[ She's going to call his bluff on that. While she's normally supportive of people and what they wear (well, most of the time) of him wearing whatever he wanted, she knew Viktor well enough to know that he wasn't likely to show up in say, a silky pair of pajamas that could be considered fancy.

The answer is a sobering. What did you do when you were certain that you weren't going to make it past a certain age? Hope was a powerful thing and she knew that from experience. As much as she was stubbornly determined to not just survive the war but live to see days past it, she would be lying if some of that was also not fuelled by hope. Some people thought it was better to nip it in the bud and be realistic about your situation and circumstances.

She rarely did nip things in the bud unless they were...well, feelings. But she doesn't want to touch those right now with a ten foot pole and nipping it in the bud is certainly not what she wants for Viktor. She may never know exactly what he's lived through, but she does know that he's destined - and more than deserving - of bright, good things. She grips his hand giving his hand a squeeze and a warm smile. ]

But you will now. [ A cheeky spark appears in the curve of her lips. ] And really, if you can survive the great whipped cream prank of Aquila, I'm sure you can live through anything in the name of love.

[techmaturgy]

[He shrugs! She'll never know.

Viktor is well aware that it's not necessarily a happy answer, but he's comfortable enough around Hilda by now that he knows he doesn't have to sugarcoat or otherwise hold back. There's still a great deal he's adjusting to, but it's helpful, to know he has people to support him. People who want to see him happy and successful, and share in the good things that happen.

He breaks into a smile of his own--softer, maybe more for himself than anyone else. Viktor squeezes her hand in return.]

Thank you, Hilda. I think you may be right.